First concrete poured at Ras al Khair refinery
The Ma’aden Alcoa aluminium joint venture has poured the first concrete in the construction of the Middle East’s first alumina refinery at Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia. The refinery is designed to initially produce 1.8 m tonnes of smelter-grade alumina per year. The complex’s smelter and rolling mill are scheduled to begin production in 2013. The mine and refinery will follow in 2014. The refinery will use a technologically advanced, engineered natural system to treat, recycle and conserve significant volumes of water.
BASF produces biodiesel catalyst in South America
BASF has officially opened its new world-scale production plant for sodium methylate in Brazil, its largest South American site. The plant has a capacity of 60,000 metric tons per year and is supplying the regional market. Production started at the end of 2011 and the plant has been continuously delivering saleable product quality. It is the first BASF plant for this product in South America and the second in the world, in addition to a plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Capital expenditure for the project is estimated at €40m.
Reformulated caramel colouring for colas
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are changing the ingredients in their flagship sparkling beverages to avoid new state warnings that would link their colas with cancer.
Health advocacy groups questioning the safety of the caramel colouring used to give the cola drinks their characteristic brown hue has led the companies to ask their caramel suppliers to change how they manufacture the ingredient to reduce levels of 4-Methylimidazole, or 4-MEI, a chemical compound within the substance.
Brazil’s new wind turbine factory
Argentinian group Impsa is building a new R$100m ($58m) wind turbine manufacturing facility in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul to serve Latin America and new export markets.
First female CEO of S America’s top oil company
Shares soared to as the Brazilian state-controlled oil company Petrobras announced the appointment of its first woman chief executive. Maria das Graças Foster took over from incumbent José Sérgio Gabrielli in February.
1000th Boeing 777 comes off production line
Boeing has reached an historic milestone in commercial aviation: the production of the 1000th Boeing 777 airplane. The Boeing 777 was launched in October 1990 with an order from United Airlines and has become one of the most successful manufacturing programmes in aviation history.
Upakovka 2012 Review
Russia is one of the top 20 consumer goods markets worldwide, and as one of emerging the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) is noteworthy for its potential for economic expanison. The population of over 140 million consumers with growing domestic consumption makes it an important market.
Sappi (South African Pulp and Paper Industries)
Sappi (South African Pulp and Paper Industries) has come a long way since it was founded 70 years ago to make paper pulp from straw. It is now a global company providing chemical cellulose, paper-pulp and paper based solutions to customers in over 100 countries.